- Opening date: 1928
- Average annual temperature: +34 ° С
- Highest temperature: +63 ° С
- Height difference: from -125 m to 2145 m
The Danakil desert is located in the eastern part of Africa, in the north of Ethiopia . It is considered one of the hottest and most inappropriate places of the planet. In its territory there are active and sleeping volcanoes , the lowest and most salty lake on earth, the boiling lava of Erta Ale and the rainbow landscapes of Dallall.
The Danakil desert is located in the eastern part of Africa, in the north of Ethiopia . It is considered one of the hottest and most inappropriate places of the planet. In its territory there are active and sleeping volcanoes , the lowest and most salty lake on earth, the boiling lava of Erta Ale and the rainbow landscapes of Dallall. Deep salt deposits up to 2 km, as well as dried corals, which can often be found here, indicate that earlier these places were the bottom of the world's oceans.
Depression Danakil
The most interesting place in the whole desert is located in the north, near the border with Eritrea. The general level of the depression is -125 m, with Dalloll volcanoes with the summit -48 m, Erta Ale-613 m and the highest volcano of the Ayala desert - 2145 m.
The depression of Danakil is considered the hottest place on Earth, if we consider not the maximum, but the average temperatures. The registered air maximum is + 63 ° С, the soil is +70 ° С, and the average temperature for the year is +34 ° С, which is a record for the planet.
From the photo of the Danakil hollow in Ethiopia, it's clear that this is just an infernal place, where active and dormant volcanoes adjoin the sulfur lakes, and poisonous gas clouds swirling above them. Despite the obvious danger to life, today Danakil is considered a place of pilgrimage for extreme tourists. And in the prehistoric era, judging by the afar australopithecus found here, the hollow was the birthplace of an ancient man.
Dallall volcano
A unique volcano with a negative peak height of -48 m and a huge crater reaching a diameter of 1.5 km, attracts tourists with its appearance. The lake in the crater, surrounded by low hills, looks like an alien landscape. Water with a high sulfur content is colored in all shades of green, and the solid salt around it crystallizes in the form of columns of sandy, greenish or reddish color.
The Dallol volcano is considered dormant, the last eruption recorded in 1929, while its activity does not stop: it constantly boils, throwing sulfur and toxic gases to the surface, which poison the surrounding air. When visiting the crater of a volcano, it is worth considering that a long stay in the range of gases is very dangerous.
Erta Ale
This is the only active volcano in the desert, its height is 613 m, the last eruption was in 2014. In the crater of the volcano Erta Al there is a lava lake of the same name, which never freezes. Among extreme tourists it is very popular to get as close to the boiling lava as possible for the sake of impressive staff. Bursting and bursting from the depths of the lava constantly creates new faults, absorbs pieces of black earth, draws incredible patterns. Many eyewitnesses say that you can watch the lake endlessly.
Extraction of salt in the desert of Danakil
On such an inhospitable territory, which is considered one of the most severe on Earth, there live 2 tribes. These are red and white Afar, who are constantly at war with each other, which makes these places even more dangerous. They are fighting for the right to own a desert alone, on the territory of which there are large deposits of salt. In the places where it leaves the surface, extraction is carried out, the salt is cut off with whole plates, which are then delivered by camels to the processing plants in the nearest town of Makele.
How to get to the desert of Danakil?
It's impossible to reach the desert by yourself: there are no cities, no roads, not even small settlements. Only organized excursion tours from Addis Ababa are sent to the desert, which include visiting all the iconic sights of this area, organizing overnight stays and meals on the way, as well as armed guards and English-speaking guides.